Pracetam 400

Rx

Indications

• Vertigo
• Elderly suffering from memory impairment, vertigo, a lack of concentration or of alertness, changes of mood, a deterioration in behaviour and personal negligence, the dementia produced by multiple cerebral infarcts.
• Chronic alcoholism.
• Sickle-cell anemia.
• Myoclonus of cortical origin.

Dosage

• The total daily dose:
  30 – 160 mg/kg/day. This is administered twice daily, but may also be given in 3 or 4 separate doses.
• As a long-term therapy for psycho-organic syndrome in the elderly:
  2 – 2.4 g daily. The loading dose can be as high as 4.8 g/day during the initial weeks of treatment.
• Sickle-cell anemia:
  160 mg/kg/day divided in 4 equal doses.
• Alcoholism:
  12 g daily during the initial withdrawal period.
  Subsequent maintenance therapy: Oral daily dose of 2.4 g.
• Cognitive deficits resulting from head injury, whether or not these are associated with vertigo:
  Initial dose can vary from 9 – 12 g daily. Maintenance therapy thereafter is a daily oral dose of 2.4 g, given for a period of not less than 3 weeks.
• In cortical myoclonus:
  Doses of 7.2 g are given daily increasing by 4.8 g daily every 3 or 4 days up to a maximum of 20 g daily. It is given in 2 or 3 divided doses. Attempts should be made to reduce the dose of other drugs.
• Children under 16 years are not recommended.
• Renal impairment: Dosage should be reduced:
  CC between 50 and 79 ml/minute: 2/3 of the usual dose, given in 2 or 3 divided doses.
  CC between 30 and 49 ml/minute: 1/3 of the usual dose, given in 2 divided doses.
  CC between 20 and 29 ml/minute: 1/6 of the usual dose, given as a single dose.
  CC less than 20 ml/minute: Contraindicated.

Usage

• Pracetam 400 is administered orally.

• Hypersensitivity to piracetam, other pyrrolidone derivatives or any of the excipients.
• Severe renal insufficiency, as demonstrated by a creatinine clearance of < 20 ml/min.
• Patients with cerebral haemorrhage, suffering from Huntington’s Chorea.

Common

• Fatigue,
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomachache,
• Nervousness, irritability, headache, insomnia and somnolence.

• Special care must be taken when treating patients known to suffer from renal insufficiency, the older patient. Monitoring of renal function is recommended in such cases.
• Caution in patients with: renal insufficiency; severe haemorrhage; at risk of bleeding; underlying disorders of haemostasis; history of haemorrhagic CVA; undergoing major surgery; using anticoagulants or platelet antiaggregant drugs.
• Abrupt discontinuation of treatment should be avoided in myoclonic patients.
• Pracetam 400 should not be used during pregnancy and during breastfeeding or breastfeeding should be discontinued, while receiving treatment with piracetam.
• Caution should therefore be exercised by patients intending to drive or use machinery whilst taking Pracetam 400.